Electronic prescribing can be considered as one important aspect of a larger technological transformation in the healthcare industry. Electronic prescribing is rapidly becoming a standard of practice in the developed countries of the world and a significant rise is seen in the adoption rate among hospitals and office-based prescribers. eRx empowers more informed decision making by making patient formulary, eligibility and medication history information available at the point that prescribing decisions are made. This report analyzes the global market for e-Prescribing systems by product (stand-alone and integrated), deployment modes, usage modes, components, end-users, and geography.

The healthcare industry is witnessing an increased adoption of eRx systems due to the pressing need to curtail healthcare costs, while maintaining the quality of care provided to patients and reduce medication errors and adverse drug events (ADEs). This is expected to drive the market at a CAGR of 26% from 2012 to 2017. The global e-prescription market was pegged at $170 million in 2011 and North America is expected to be the leading region to drive the growth of the market due to increased adoption of eRx systems in this region, particularly in the U.S.

High cost of the e-Prescribing systems and resistance to adoption of technology, by the physician fraternity, restrain the growth of this market. The market is also witnessing a growing demand for integrated e-prescription systems, facilitating the healthcare community to shift towards the implementation of a complete electronic health record system.

The healthcare industry is plagued by the issue of privacy and maintaining security of patient data. This has been a roadblock for the entry of any new technological solution in the healthcare industry which involves patient data or patient medical records. Moreover, the limited access for experts opinion and technically trained IT professionals is expected to negatively impact the market because there is lack of awareness among end users mainly prescribers, pharmacist and associated staff regarding the working and function of applications, best vendors available in the market, cost of software and long term service provision.